On September 8, 2014, NAFSA submitted comments on the Student and Exchange Visitor Program's (SEVP) Draft Guidance for Adjudicators 1402-07: The Form I-20 and the English Proficiency Field. The draft guidance is part of SEVP's multi-part development of guidance on the topic of conditional admission

NAFSA Retention Research

This liaison call conducted by NAFSA's ISS-RP Travel Subcommittee addressed a number of topics.

NAFSA submitted this comment letter to the U. S. Department of Labor's Standard Occupational Classification Policy Committee, recommending the following improvements to the Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) manual that is used in the prevailing wage determination process.

U. S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) Texas Service Center conducted an open house stakeholder event on April 15, 2014. These notes were taken at the event by a member of NAFSA’s ISS-RP Regulatory Ombuds Subcommittee.

A Department of State (DOS) interim final rule effective September 12, 2014 will reduce the fees for several DOS applications encountered at institutions of higher education.

This SEVP Broadcast Message informs SEVIS users of SEVP's initiative to review STEM OPT data in SEVIS, which might result in "Remedial Action Plans" (RAPs) being sent to schools.

On August 5, 2014 the ISS-RP Exchange Visitor Subcommittee conducted a liaison with the Department of State's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) to discuss the Exchange Visitor Program. The call focused on staffing changes at ECA and the 24-month bar on repeat program participation.

Each year between December 2 and March 2 of the following year, Principal Designated Officials (PDSOs) and Responsible Officers (ROs) must update SEVIS to verify that all PDSOs, Designated School Officials (DSOs), ROs, and Alternate Responsible Officers (AROs) at their respective schools or exchange

Changes to the China Reciprocity Schedule effective November 12, 2014 expand the validity period of the following visa types issued on or after that date: B-1 (visitor for business), B-2 (visitor for pleasure), F-1 and F-2 (academic students and their dependents), M-1 and M-2 (vocational students